


Knife Through the Chest

by vulcanicity



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, Established Relationship, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-29
Updated: 2015-05-29
Packaged: 2018-04-01 20:01:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4032787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vulcanicity/pseuds/vulcanicity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-ep for 7x05, Here Today. CJ comes home after the President's address and Toby's removal from the White House.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Knife Through the Chest

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate Universe with an established CJ/Danny relationship.

CJ hasn’t slept in 3 nights and she pretty much just wants to curl up in a ball and die.

 

_Toby is the leak. Toby betrayed her, and the President, and the White House. Toby._

 

She could see the pain in the President’s eyes, and she imagines that her eyes look pretty much the same. Throughout their 7 and a half years at the White House, he had been her closest friend, the one she trusted most.

 

After cajoling Will into coming back to the White House, watching the President’s address, and making sure everything else is settled, she heads home.

 

The cab pulls up outside her apartment building, pulling her from her exhausted reverie; she pays and walks slowly up the steps, her every step purposeful and slow.

 

“Danny” She calls out as she steps into their apartment. It’s technically still her apartment, but it feels like theirs, because he never stays at his anymore, and her apartment is filled with his belongings.

 

“Hey” He approaches her softly, pulling her into his arms before she even has the chance to pull off her coat. She breaks then, tears falling hard and fast, wetting the shoulder of his Notre Dame sweatshirt. “Oh CJ” He whispers, holding onto her even harder.

 

He had seen the news, heard the President’s address to the nation, and his heart had sunk. He knew as soon as he heard that it was going to kill CJ inside. He had never pretended to understand their relationship, and he’d be lying if he hadn’t occasionally been jealous of Toby in the past, but he knew that it must have felt like she’d been stabbed her in the chest.

 

They stand in the doorway for a good five minutes, CJ continuing to cry on Danny’s shoulder. “CJ” He whispers her name softly, pushing her away from him slightly “Let’s get you into bed” The tears continue to stream down her face, as he moves behind her and pulls the coat from her shoulders, hanging it up. He places a comforting hand on the small of her back and guides her towards the bedroom.

 

She heads straight for the bed, too exhausted to even stand anymore. He follows her, and pulls her pyjamas out from under her pillow, before kneeling in front of her. He slowly pulls her shoes off, and she sighs at the comforting feel of the soft carpet beneath tired feet.

 

The tears are still rolling down her cheeks as he carefully undoes her necklace, unbuttons her blouse, slips her camisole over her head and reaches behind her to undo her bra. Normally, this would be so sexual, his arousal awoken by the sight of her breasts, but not tonight. This is intimate, but not sexual in the slightest. He grabs her pyjama top and helps her into it.

 

By the time he helps her out of her skirt, the tears have slowed. He helps her stand and unzips her skirt, letting it pool around her ankles. He kneels down again, lifting her feet and moving the skirt, before replacing it with her pyjama pants. She stands and pulls them up on her own, and he stands to meet her. He moves her clothes and pulls the comforter down, helping her into the bed. “Don’t leave me alone” Her voice is so quiet and sad and utterly defeated that he feels his own heart breaking.

 

He smiles softly, pulling off his sweatshirt and sweatpants, and walking around to the other side of the bed, reaching for the light switch as he goes. Climbing into the bed, he curls up beside her, pulling her close. He feels her relax against her slightly, but the tears are still dripping down onto the pillow. Danny is tired, but it must be nothing compared to CJ; he’s spent the last two nights alone in her bed, whilst she’s been working all nighters and surviving on caffeine. He stays awake long enough that CJ falls asleep before him; her breathing slows and calms and she relaxes fully into his arms.

 

Eventually he must have fallen asleep as well, because he wakes with a start sometime later. CJ is no longer in his arms, and the alarm clock on her bedside cabinet reads 2:34am. The bedroom door is open, and he can see light coming from down the hallway. Danny rubs his eyes and stretches, before getting out of the warm bed and wandering down to the living room. He stops in the doorway, catching sight of CJ.

 

She’s sitting on the couch, a cup in hand, her head and eyes downcast. “CJ” He startles her, his voice loud in the silent room. “What ya doing?” She looks around, and her eyes follow him as he walks into the living room and takes a seat next to her on the couch.

 

“I couldn’t sleep...I didn’t want to wake you” She leans back, pulling her long legs up underneath her body.

 

“Oh Ceej, it’s ok”

 

“He betrayed me, he was my friend and it feels like he stuck a knife through my chest”

 

“I know”

 

“I can’t talk about it”

 

“I know”

 

One hand leaves the mug CJ is holding, and reaches out for him. He takes her hand and squeezes it. “What do you need?”

 

“Just be here, please, just be here”

 

“I’m not going anywhere, CJ. I promise. I love you”

 

A small smile creeps onto her face. Danny never says ‘I love you’ out of convenience or routine; he says it with love and affection and it makes her remember why she fell in love with him in the first place.

 

“I love you too, Danny”

 

They sit on the couch in silence as CJ finishes her drink “Does this even work?” She questions, holding up the mug.

 

“Hot milk? It did when I was a kid” Danny smiles, remembering late nights in his childhood home, his mom pouring them hot milk and falling asleep on the couch.

 

She settles the mug on the coffee table, and Danny pulls her closer, her head resting on his chest. He strokes her hair as she closes her eyes once again.

 

“I will never leave you” He whispers, as she drifts off to sleep.

 

CJ may have been betrayed by her best friend, one of the men she trusted most, but Danny would never do that. He would love her and care for her and help her through this pain, and stay with her forever.

 

 


End file.
